


Small Steps

by CoinSprite



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Awkward Kissing, Awkwardness, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Gentle Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-12 11:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15994550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoinSprite/pseuds/CoinSprite
Summary: It's been roughly one month since Minato and Fuuka had begun dating (in relative secrecy), and while the two have never felt the need to rush through their relationship as if to check off various milestones, Fuuka has become rather dissatisfied with how slowly it seemed to be moving. When confronted with this new truth, Minato seeks to right this wrong, but only if Fuuka truly wishes to take the next step.





	1. Hallway Rendezvous

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly decided to write this after thinking about romancing Fuuka during another P3P playthrough as Minato/Makoto. She's really the only girl on SEES that I'd wanna smooch, and I'm not surprised that Minato/Fuuka is a bit of a rare-pair (at least as far as I'm aware).
> 
> Anyway, I had to cut this a bit short since it was getting rather long in the notebook I initially scribbled this in. This little opening bit isn't much, but that's 'cause this seemed like a nice cut-off point. The next part's gonna be a lot longer than this, I promise!

            “Minato-kun?”

            The young teen turned around to follow the source of the soft-spoken voice, though he already knew who it belonged to without needing to do so. After all, he had heard it countless times and, even in the midst of battle, he never grew tired of hearing it.

            Fuuka stood in front of him, fidgeting with the bits of her sweater that poked out from the sleeves of her uniform. It was rare for her to seek him out during their short lunch break, but Minato didn’t mind either way. What he did was her behavior as she looked like she needed to tell him something dire so, without being conscious of it, he straightened his back and relaxed his gaze.

            “Hey, Fuuka.” He spoke quietly, “What’s up? Something happen?”

            Her eyes grew large in response to Minato’s, almost as if she expected him to say nothing or divert his attention to another one of his friends. “Oh! Uh, no.” She peeped, “...but, um. Would it be alright to see you after school?”

            “Oh, sure.” Minato answered without much thought. It wasn’t like he was doing anything important that day, and he had been going out his way to spend more time with her lately anyway. Even if they spent most of those times without saying much of anything, he enjoyed being with her. He may be relatively clueless when it comes to romance, but he at least knew that only scum would pressure their girlfriends into doing things they weren’t comfortable with. Hell, even a good friend wouldn’t do that to another, and he wouldn’t do it to Fuuka either way.

            Yet again, Fuuka seemed surprised by his quick response as she began to fidget a bit more. “Oh! Okay then!” She was still trying to regain her bearings, “I’ll see you then.” And, with that, she was off without so much as a wave, but what caught Minato’s attention was how flushed her face got as she took off. Whatever the reason was, he’d find out after school anyway, so there was no need to torture himself during the rest of the day by wracking his brain for possible explanations. For now, he figured he could try his hand at sleeping through another one of Mr. Edogawa’s supplementary lessons.

* * *

            The last few classes flew by rather quickly, much to Minato’s relief. It probably helped that he never got called on and, when he awoke just before the last class ended, it was oddly comforting to know that he wasn’t the only one who planned to catch a few Z’s.

            Once he was able to slink out of the classroom, leaving Junpei, Yukari and Aigis to their own devices, Minato made his way to the door of the neighboring Class 2-E to meet up with Fuuka as promised. He must have been rushing without realizing it though, as by the time he made it to the nearest door, Fuuka was just getting out. As soon as she closed the door and turned over to her left, she was met with the sight of Minato’s chest and nearly crashed into him, resulting in her letting out a small yelp as she stepped back in an attempt to catch herself.

            To ease Fuuka’s shock, Minato leaned forward as to not appear to be looming intimidatingly over her before letting out a small apology. “Sorry. I must not have been paying attention.” He bowed quickly and slightly before fixing his posture to avoid slouching. “You still good to go for today?”

            “Oh! Uh, y-yeah. I’m okay!” She was already fumbling over her words and her face practically lit up into a shade of pink that rivaled Yukari’s signature cardigan. Minato had no idea what Fuuka was thinking that was making her so jumpy but, whatever it was, they already had plans for the day, so she’d have plenty of time to tell him if she wanted. What he didn’t expect was for Fuuka to lead him into her room as quickly as she did before anyone else returned to the dorm.


	2. Bedroom Confessional

            He really didn’t know what to do or expect by that point. All he could think to do was stare at Fuuka with slightly widened eyes and his hands outstretched by his sides, freed from his pockets to prepare for whatever was about to happen. On the other hand, Fuuka was still grappling with her own nerves as she kept the door shut, blocking it off with her small body. She tried to look up at the boy she so boldly dragged into her room but shot her eyes down to her feet even quicker when got a half-second-long glimpse of him. She easily felt her face heat up in embarrassment as she let out a big but quiet sigh. Neither of them said anything for a while, but the shared silence helped to calm them both down, much like it did during most of their time together. After a few more moments of silence, Minato, having relaxed back into his usual stance, was the first to speak.

            “What’s this about?” As bored as he typically sounded, the concern was clearly present. “You sure nothing’s wrong?”

            She took a deep breath but, even with that, she found that she couldn’t completely look up at him; her eyes could only scale up to the base of his neck before dropping back down to her feet. She could feel her face heating up again and decided to let the cat out of the bag before her heart rate began to pick up speed.

            “You know how we’ve been, uh, seeing each other? ...For a while?” She started tugging at her sweater sleeves again, but it was enough to at least let her look back up at Minato.

            “Yeah.” Again, his response seemed to come as a surprise to Fuuka, almost as if she felt the need to check in with him to ensure that she hadn’t been fooling herself. “Did you not think so?”

            His question was worded a bit harshly, he’ll admit, but if anything was making Fuuka question their relationship, he needed to fix it.

            “N-no! No! I do!” She stepped forward clutching her chest with her face fully raised to look Minato directly in the eyes. Fuuka’s response was reassuring, to say the least, so he waited for her to explain herself as he slipped his hands back into their rightful place within his pockets. Seeing him drop his shoulders back gave Fuuka a strange bit of confidence that allowed her to take another step forward, but whatever she was about to say made her avert her gaze once more.

            “It’s just that I, um... I wanted to know how I was doing.”

            Silence surrounded them again, but it was stifling rather than calming. It was practically pushing down on Fuuka to continue, especially seeing how Minato wasn’t making any moves. She knew by now that he wasn’t going to press her for details despite how confused he was, so she had no real choice but to continue.

            “I meant to say that I want to know if you’re bored... with me.” The last two words were spoken in a whisper like she still didn’t want to tell him deep down. “I know we don’t do much together. Nothing that couples would usually do. We just sit without talking to each other whenever we get time to ourselves, and I know that I can be pretty boring... But I can never really think of anything to do!”

            “If you’d want to be with someone more lively, then I’d understand.” It came out as a sigh of defeat, but the important thing was that she got it to come out.

            “Why would I do that?” Though it was worded as a question, Minato’s voice became firm, closer to the one he used to lead everyone through the sprawling tower was Tartarus. “It’d hurt you. Plus, I’m quiet already. I like how you don’t make me talk, and I wouldn’t force you into doing it if you don’t like it either. Same goes for the couple stuff.”

            He brought a hand up to pick at the back of his neck as his eyes began to wander around the room, unable stay fixed onto Fuuka’s form. He knew that he had no experience with this sort of thing, but he was more than willing to push himself out of his comfort zone if it’d help shake out all those unsure thoughts from Fuuka’s head. He spent the majority of the year being shoved out from practically every comfort zone he had formed, so why was what he was about to say making his face hot? It was as if the strange prickling sensation now coursing around under the skin of his face was keeping his mouth from opening!

            He saw that Fuuka’s head hung low and her shoulders drooped when he stole a glance. Her posture suggested that she must’ve been kicking herself in her mind for voicing her insecurities. Maybe she was thinking of how all the growth she made this year might’ve been a trick of the mind—that she never truly grew from being meek—, or of how Minato only said what he said to make her feel better, not because he meant it. Honestly, he couldn’t believe he was choosing to stick his foot in his mouth now of all times.

            “We could try something new... if you want.” Jeez, he could feel his voice crack with that one. “You’ll... have to let me know _what_ though. I’m not really good at this sort of thing.”

            He could feel Fuuka looking up at him again, but all he could do is fiddle with the tips of his bangs in a silly attempt to hide behind them (more than he did on a regular basis). Fuuka, meanwhile, felt an odd sense of comfort in seeing Minato’s bashful display. She was seeing a side of him that he’s more than likely never shown to anyone else. It was like peering at a Shadow’s various weak points through Juno’s many eyes but, this time, the Shadow was making a conscious effort to bear them for her to see plainly. It was a chance that only she could’ve been given and one that only she could act upon.

            She didn’t need to think long about what new thing she wished to try. If she was going to be honest, she’s already thought about the act not long after Minato’s unexpected confession, and now that he’s made it clear that he’s willing—that he’s not bored with her—she could finally tell him.

            “I...” She took a deep breath to help straighten out her posture, fixing her gaze directly onto Minato’s face. There was no point in acting shy and skittish about it anymore.

            “I want you to kiss me. I want... I want to kiss you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this all looked longer in my notebook of scribbles. Oh well, it was meant to be a short story anyway.
> 
> Mmmm, I can bet you guys can tell the whole Shadow analogy was forceddddd--


	3. New Feelings

            As much as he tried to prepare for something along those lines, Fuuka’s request still came at him like a charged-up Steel Gigas—he could just feel the air being forced out of his lungs as his face and ears lit up so much and so quickly that it nearly made him lightheaded. With his eyes now latched onto Fuuka’s, Minato could see that there was no point in parroting her earlier statement for some kind of confirmation; the determination she showed was more than enough.

            “Alright.” His voice came out as a breathless whisper as his eyes darted down to the floor. It was amazing (and a bit relieving) that Fuuka didn’t so much as chortle seeing him lose his cool like that.

            After stealing a couple of glances, Minato finally continued to follow through on his personal promise to reaffirm their relationship in Fuuka’s mind, just on one condition.

            “It’d be best to sit for it. I’d have to bend down a bit more if we do this standing otherwise.” He paused to take a breath and keep himself from coughing or sputtering, just something to help him regain the tiniest bit of composure. “You know. Back issues.”

            It only took a moment for Fuuka to relax her body as she made her way to her bedside to take a seat, her face growing hotter and more pink with every motion despite knowing of how far the two of them would allow each other to go (which wasn’t _too_ far). Once seated, she took a quick glance up at Minato, who was still scratching at the back of his neck unable to look at her, before patting down at the spot she wished for him to take. Having heard the proverbial signal, Minato carefully sat himself down next to Fuuka.

            The two red-faced teens sat in silence to let its presence help calm their nerves and heart rates somewhat before Minato made the first move. He sent several warnings Fuuka’s way to give her a bit more time to steel herself, from his inching closer to her until their knees nearly touched to placing a hand close enough to hers to brush against her pinky. By the time he felt he was ready and could see that Fuuka had no intention of backing out due to some mix of fear and embarrassment, Minato began to lean in. Fuuka followed suit, the both of them closing their eyes as they could feel the other’s breath escape their nose. As if to keep himself from crashing into her, Minato instinctively brought his hands up to Fuuka’s shoulders, gripping them lightly as their lips finally made contact.

            The kiss was small and chaste. Neither of them moved; they simply maintained contact, enjoying the growing warmth of the other’s face and the tiny sparks that seemed to crackle around in their stomachs. Minato was the one to pull away, immediately shooting his eyes down to the floor as he brought a hand to his lips. Fuuka mimicked his arm movements, her eyes trained on the boy’s lips. Every doubtful thought had been swept away by a torrent of others all concerning her first kiss having been given away, how warm and soft the act was, how such a small one made her stomach feel as though it was swelling up with each passing moment; she nearly missed what Minato was saying.

            “... s that?”

            “What?” She half-whispered, just now snapping out of her flooded thoughts and back to reality.

            “How was that?” He repeated, peeking out from his bangs as if he were fearing the worst possible response. Without realizing it, Fuuka’s mouth curved into a small smile.

            “It was nice.” She said with a huff, releasing the strange tingling sensation that had been swimming around in her gut. “I liked it! It... felt good.”

            With that, Minato let a smile of his own form as he still rubbed at his lower lip softly. “Yeah. It did.”

            “Could you... Could we do it again?”

            Minato couldn’t help but chuckle at her question. If they were both feeling the same way after the kiss, then of course they could do it again. They could kiss again and again even through the Dark Hour if it made them feel this weightless and floaty. “Sure we can.”

            The two repositioned themselves as they leaned in once more. Though they were both eager to experience the same sensations from earlier, they made sure not to rush in too quickly. Once their lips met again, Minato slowly eased his hands down from Fuuka’s shoulders to her biceps, giving them a slight squeeze as he tugged Fuuka closer to him to deepen the kiss. He took her compliance as the cue he needed to start moving his lips, which earned a small gasp from her. She, in turn, began to move hers in an attempt to match his slow and steady pace until it felt as though their lips were starting to meld together—the rising heat of their faces and intensity of the tingling and crackling in their guts nearly made it all seem overwhelming. Rather than feeling the need to pull away, both felt an innate desire to prolong these feelings, to find some way to get closer without crossing into the possibility of overstimulation. As this desire grew, the space between them began shrinking until their bodies pressed up against one another. Minato was practically embracing Fuuka by this point as Fuuka’s arms had traveled from Minato’s chest to his back, her hands pressing for him to lean in more. Every time their lips parted to take a breath, they’d come back together just as quickly; the strange yet pleasant electric sensations growing each time. They didn’t stop until Minato abruptly pulled away, completely releasing his hold on Fuuka as he covered his mouth with the back of his left hand.

            “S-sorry... but I would’ve gotten carried away.” He wasn’t wrong either. His face was almost as red as a stop sign and his breathing had become somewhat ragged.

            “No! N-no, it’s alright.” Using her own hands, Fuuka could feel her lips trembling and her heart racing. She figured that her face must’ve been just as flushed as his as the heat wouldn’t leave it or her ears, and her breathing matched his in being unsteady.

            It wasn’t like she didn’t enjoy these feelings either. It felt like coming down from a high. The kind of high one would experience after completing an important assignment at the very last minute and doing it well enough to earn high marks (not that Fuuka ever procrastinated on schoolwork enough to know of such a feeling). If anything, Minato’s move allowed her to come back down and settle back into her senses.

            After another period of silence spent stealing glances at one another, Minato was the one to break it.

            “I wouldn’t mind doing this more often.” He still seemed too embarrassed to speak up, but he felt it was something to clarify before leaving. “Just, y’know... let me know if it’s okay. Wouldn’t want to let me get carried away again... Right?”

            “Mm-hmm. I will.” She let out a breathy giggle as she gave her answer. “But if you want to, well, surprise me, then that’d always be nice.”

            “Like right now?”

            “Maybe.”

            “Or in front of the others?”

            “N-not yet at least.”

            “In front of Junpei?”

            “Minato-kun!”

            “Relax. I wouldn’t do it publicly if you don’t want me to.” He chuckled, nudging at Fuuka as he held out his hand, his pinky outstretched. “Pretty sure he and Yukari would both have heart attacks if I tried.”

            Fuuka couldn’t help but let out a laugh as she hooked her pinky around Minato’s. She then leaned onto his side as the two of them simply enjoyed each other’s company. Minato was half-tempted to start combing his fingers through Fuuka’s short hair until he remembered their current situation.

            “Want me to leave? The others may be on their way back.” He could feel his heart begin to swell again when Fuuka leaned into his shoulder some more in response.

            “It’s okay. Please stay a little longer.”

            That was just what he needed to hear to let himself slip an arm around her, placing a hand atop her head, which he gave a small pat.

            “Alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this little thing of mine! I mainly wrote this to test myself on whether I could stomach my own writing enough to post it online and I'm happy with how it ended up (might've found a new Persona OTP while I was at it).  
> This was also to help gear myself up for a bigger project I plan to take on later down the line so any critiques you guys have are more than welcome. Thanks again for reading!


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